Review of 2019 and 2020 - Moths: Grass moths (Crambidae) - Part 5: Grass-veneers II (Catoptria to Platytes)

GRASS MOTHS (CRAMBIDAE) (continued)


Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella - Both years beat the previous records at home with 44 counted on 19 nights between 9th July and 7th August 2019 and two nights in the peak period when they weren't counted.  Then 53 between 17th June and 22nd August 2020.  28 was my previous best annual total.  Elsewhere recorded next door, at the meadows (just one) and at Weybourne.

Pearl Grass-veneer Catoptria pinella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 26th July 2019

Pearl-band Grass-veneer Catoptria margaritella - Probably my moth of the year, indeed one of the best moths I have ever caught, was one trapped in my garden on 13th July 2019.  This species is common in parts of northern and western England but does not appear to be common anywhere closer than Yorkshire.  I'm not sure of its exact status in the counties between there and here but I can't find anything to suggest that it normally occurs anywhere near Norfolk (less than 10 records in Lincolnshire apparently).  There 3 records of coastal migrants in Norfolk and Suffolk including 2 from Eccles in 2001 and 2015 (the only previous Norfolk records) and one from Felixstowe in 2003.  My garden is terrible for migrants and, with no other coastal records that I'm aware of in 2019 it seems to me to be a bit of a stretch to think this was an immigrant.  It was, however, a bumper year for this species in its normal range with, for example, at least 3,100 one night at one site in Yorkshire.  I suspect my record was a wanderer from a British population rather than an immigrant.

Pearl-band Grass-veneer Catoptria margaritella, North Elmham, 13th July 2019

Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella - Totals of 18 here between 11th July and 3rd September 2019 and 14 between 1st and 15th August 2020.  Numbers here vary considerably with 11 in 2017 and 50 in 2015 but these were below average.  Elsewhere one next door and 3 at the meadows.

Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 22nd August 2019

Chequered Grass-veneer Catoptria falsella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th August 2020

Powdered Grass-veneer Thisanotia chrysonuchella - None.  I've only seen this species in the Brecks and it's pretty rare elsewhere in Norfolk.  However there are a scattering of records around the county so it's plausible I might turn one up here sometime.


Waste Grass-veneer Pediasia contaminella - 3 in the garden and one at the meadows all between 25th July and 1st August 2019.  I thought this was a staggering total for a moth that I recorded in my garden for the first time in 2018 (and only twice elsewhere before this), but then 2020 happened!  I caught 14 here between 16th July and 5th August, 3 at the meadows (18th July and 7th August), one at Bintree Wood and one at Brancaster (2nd July). This recent surge of records was reflected by other recorders across the county and at the moment it looks more like an upward trend than simply a couple of good years.  Although the head-down posture is distinctive I think it would be easy to confuse this species with Barred Grass-veneer Agriphila inquinatella.

Waste Grass-veneer Pediasia contaminella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 26th July 2019

Waste Grass-veneer Pediasia contaminella, North Elmham, 26th July 2019

Waste Grass-veneer Pediasia contaminella, North Elmham Cathedral Meadows, 7th August 2020

Little Grass-veneer Platytes cerussella - Sinlges in the garden trap on 24th June 2019 and 22nd June 2020.  This species isn't quite annual here although I have averaged one a year.  It is much commoner in the Brecks.

Little Grass-veneer Platytes cerussella, North Elmham, 24th June 2019

Little Grass-veneer Platytes cerussella, North Elmham, 22nd June 2020

Hook-tipped Grass-veneer Platytes alpinella - One in the garden trap on 25th July 2019, only my third record here and first since 2015.  Although I've had a couple of other records locally this species is much easier to find at the coast.  None in 2020.

Hook-tipped Grass-veneer Platytes alpinella, North Elmham, 25th July 2019

Next page: more Crambidae

Spongefly

The highlight from my garden moth trap on 10th June was my first Spongefly, a group of lacewings represented by one species in Norfolk, Sisyra fuscata.  Compared to the brown lacewings (at least the ones I'm familiar with) it was small and dark, but sadly it was on its last legs (although that hadn't been apparent) and died before I managed to get any photos of it.  Not only that but it had covered itself in moth scales left in the pot I used so the photo really is bad!

Sisyra fuscata (dead), North Elmham, 10th June

A number of moths were new for the year: Obscure Groundling Bryotropha similis, Cyclamen Tortrix Clepsis spectrana, Pine Marble Piniphila bifasciana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Bramble Shoot Moth Notocelia uddmanniana, 2 Little Grass-veneers Platytes cerussella, Wormwood Pug, Dingy Footman and Fan-foot.

Obscure Groundling Bryotropha similis (male, gen det), North Elmham, 10th June

Cyclamen Tortrix Clepsis spectrana, North Elmham, 10th June

Pine Marble Piniphila bifasciana, North Elmham, 10th June

Bramble Shoot Moth Notocelia uddmanniana, North Elmham, 10th June

Little Grsas-veneer Platytes cerussella, North Elmham, 10th June

Fan-foot, North Elmham, 10th June

Also of note were 2 Hawthorn Bent-wings Bucculatrix bechsteinella - my third and fourth here this year but a species I'd not recorded here at all in previous years.

Hawthorn Bent-wing Bucculatrix bechsteinella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 10th June

Other moths were Diamond-back Moth Plutella xylostella, 2 Brown House Moths Hofmannophila pseudospretella, Sloe Flat-body Luquetia lobella, Hook-marked Straw Moth Agapeta hamana, Large Fruit-tree Tortrix Archips podana, 3 Light Brown Apple Moths Epiphyas postvittana, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 4 Triple-blotched Bells Notocelia trimaculana, 4 Garden Grass-veneers Chrysoteuchia culmella, 3 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, Ringed China-mark Parapoynx stratiotata, Small Magpie Anania hortulata, 5 Bee Moths Aphomia sociella, Common Swift, Small Dusty Wave, 4 Riband Waves, 2 Silver-ground Carpets, Common Carpet, 2 Common Marbled Carpets, Sandy Carpet, 3 Common Pugs, 2 Green Pugs, Brown Silver-line, Scorched Wing, 2 Brimstone Moths, 3 Willow Beauties, 2 Mottled Beauties, 3 Light Emeralds, Coxcomb Prominent, 2 White Ermines, Buff Ermine, Heart and Club, 2 Heart and Darts, Flame, 4 Ingrailed Clays, Shears, Shoulder-striped Wainscot, Brown Rustic, Small Clouded Brindle, Tawny Marbled Minor (also another Marbled Minor agg. that escaped), 6 Middle-barred Minors, Treble Lines, 3 Mottled Rustics, Marbled White Spot, 3 Burnished Brasses, Spectacle, 20 Straw Dots, 5 Snouts and 4 Small Fan-foots.

Caddisflies were represented by 2 Ecnomus tenellus (new for the year), Goera pilosa and Mystacides longicornis.

Ecnomus tenellus, North Elmham, 10th June

Goera pilosa, North Elmham, 10th June

Birch Shieldbug, Fly Bug Reduvius personatus (sometimes known as Masked Hunter) and 7-spot Ladybird were all apparently new for the year though I've a feeling I've had the ladybird before and forgotten to record it.

Birch Shieldbug, North Elmham, 10th June

Next day I found 2 Case-bearing Clothes Moths Tinea pellionella in the house, a new species for the year here.

Case-bearing Clothes Moth Tinea pellionella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 10th June

Cedestis subfasciella and Lobster

A Brown Pine Ermel Cedestis subfasciella was the best of a good night on Tuesday of last week, a new species for me.

Brown Pine Ermel Cedestis subfasciella, North Elmham, 16th June

Several species were new for the year, at least for the garden, including this fine Lobster Moth...

Lobster Moth, North Elmham, 16th June

...and this Little Grass-veneer Platytes cerussella, mainly a Breckland species in Norfolk...

 Little Grass-veneer Latytes cerussella, North Elmham, 16th June

...and Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella, Larch Case-bearer Coleophora laricella, Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana, Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, Snout and Fan-foot.

Lesser Pearl Sitochroa verticalis, North Elmham, 16th June

Snout, North Elmham, 16th June

 Fan-foot, North Elmham, 16th June

Marbled Orchard Tortrix Hedya nubiferana, North Elmham, 16th June

Light Grey Tortrix Cnephasia incertana (male, gen det), North Elmham, 16th June

Common Rush Case-bearer Coleophora alticolella (female, gen det), North Elmham, 16th June

Larch Case-bearer Coleophora laricella (male, gen det), North Elmham, 16th June

The other moths recorded last Tuesday were Bird’s-nest Moth Tinea trinotella, 5 Buff Rush Case-bearers Coleophora caespititiella (gen det), White-shouldered House-moth Endrosis sarcitrella, Barred Marble Celypha striana, 5 Common Marbles Celypha lacunana, 2 Rush Marbles Bactra lancealana, 2 Hook-streaked Grass-Veneers Crambus lathoniellus, 2 Common Greys Scoparia ambigualis, 4 Small Magpies Eurrhypara hortulata, Fenland Pearl Anania perlucidalis, 2 Common Swifts, 7 Silver-ground Carpets, Mottled Pug, 4 Common Pugs, Brown Silver-line, Brimstone Moth, Willow Beauty, Common White Wave, Common Wave, Clouded Silver, Light Emerald, Poplar Hawkmoth, Buff-tip, 4 Common Footmen, 2 White Ermines, 3 Buff Ermines, 2 Cinnabars, 5 Heart and Darts, Flame Shoulder, 2 Ingrailed Clays, 2 Shoulder-striped Wainscots, 6 Brown Rustics, Dusky Brocade, 2 Marbled Minors (gen det), Middle-barred Minor, 5 Treble Lines, Burnished Brass, 2 Spectacles and 3 Straw Dots. 

 Dusky Brocade, North Elmham, 16th June

 Marbled Minors (female & male, gen det), North Elmham, 16th June

  Rush Marble Bactra lancealana, North Elmham, 16th June